Golf ball sphericity gauge and utility tool



arch 28, 1967 RZ z Ns ET AL 3,310,879

GOLF BALL SPHERICITY GAUGE AND UTILITY TOOL Filed July 10, 1964 INVENTOR s A/orarz J: firzez/nslfx;

ATTORNEYS 3,3l,87 Patented Mar. 28, 1'96? 3,319,879 GGLF BALL SPHERICETY GAUGE AND UTILITY T6901.

Norbert J. Brzezinski, South Bend, Ind, and Clinton 1.. Miliilren, 2205 E. Madison, South Bend, ind. 45615; said Brzezinski assignor to said Millikan Filed July it), 1964, Ser. No. 331,?99 4 Claims. (ill. 33- 173) The present invention relates to a golf ball sphericity gauge and utility tool; and more particularly, to a combination sphericity gauge of the Go-No Go type and a utility tool by which the hitting face of a golf club may be cleaned and golf shoe spikes may be cleaned and tightened.

It is common knowledge among golf enthusiasts that faulty and uncared for golf equipment detract from ones golf game in a manner that cannot be compensated for by skill. An out-of-round golf ball is an example of imperfect golf equipment that can cause golfing errors that cannot be compensated for by any amount of skill. While good quality golf balls are manufactured so as to have substantially perfect spherical shapes, the spherical shape is usually lost after the golf ball is used. During use a golf ball is struck by a club and the golf ball is compressed into an out-of-round shape. This compression of the golf ball and the elastic nature of the golf ball that springs the golf ball back into substantially its original shape, is that which propels the golf ball the long distances required by golf enthusiasts. However, this repetitive compression and re-expansion, soon causes the ball to lose its spherical shape. It is generally known that when an out-ofround golf ball is hit, the trajectory of the golf ball will be materially diiferent'from that of a spherical golf ball hit in the same manner. Therefore, the imperfect shape of the golf ball may cause golfing errors effecting ones score. Further, since an cutofround golf ball also rolls imperfectly, such a golf ball cannot be putted accurately even by the most skilled golfers. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a sphericity gauge for golf balls by which a golf enthusiast may determine which of his golf balls have become out-of-round so that he may relegate them to his shag-bag or some other minor use.

The golf club having its hitting surface caked with mud, pieces of grass, and other debris is another example of imperfect golf equipment. The hitting surface must be cleaned before proper operation of the club can be expected. A dirty club face also results in golf shots having trajectories that deviate from that planned in a manner that is unpredictable. Further the hitting surface of a conventional golf club is roughened by means of grooves; and not unfrequently by means of a further surface treatment which will increase the frictional forces between a golf ball and this surface during contact. Such frictional forces are necessary to provide the golf ball with the necessary spin during flight. This spin, properly controlled, can add length to the distance of each hit, and will control the manner in which the ball lands on the green or on the fairway. Such spin is especially important during a chip shot where the ball must stop shortly after it lands on the green. However, the control of the spin so that it may be useful to the golfer, is impossible whenever the club face is dirty. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a tool by which the face of a golf club may be cleaned.

A further example of golf equipment that does not operate properly unless it is kept in repair and cleaned, is a pair of golf shoes. The main purpose of wearing golf shoes is to prevent ones feet from slipping during the swing and before the club hits the ball. Such slipning cannot occur without materially detracting from ones golf game. Such slipping, however, can be practically eliminated by using golf shoes that are properly maintained and kept clean. However, golf shoes tend to become encumbered with mud, pieces of grass and the like and tend to lose spikes that become loose during use. Therefore, golf shoes must be constantly kept clean, and golf shoe spikes must be constantly kept tightened. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a tool by which both operations can be performed.

Since all of the above-mentioned desired functions are performed either before, during or after playing golf, it is further desirable that the golf ball gauge, the club-face cleaner, and the golf-shoe spike cleaner and tightener be manufactured in the form of a single utility tool which can be easily attached to other golf equipment where it can be easily found and conveniently located.

It is therefore an obiect of this invention to provide a sphericity gauge for golf balls.

It is another object of this invention to provide the tool for cleaning the hitting faces of golf clubs.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a tool for cleaning and tightening golf-shoe spikes.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a utility tool by which the hitting surfaces of golf clubs and golf-shoe spikes may be cleaned and by which golfshoe spikes may be tightened which has integrally formed therein a golf ball sphericity gauge.

In accordance with the broader aspects of this invention, there is provided a combination golf ball sphericity gauge and utility to-ol comprising a golf ball sphericity gauge of the Go-No Go type, a means for cleaning golf-club hitting faces and golf-shoe spikes, and for tightening golf-shoe spikes, and a means for attaching the combination gauge and tool to other golf equipment.

Throughout this specification the term Go-No Go sphericity gauge is meant to be definitive of an accurately machined constant diameter passageway which has a diameter that provides a slip fit between the interior surface of the passageway and the largest circular crosssection of a golf ball. Such a passageway operates as a sphericity gauge by attempting to insert a golf ball into the passageway or pass the golf ball through the passageway. If the largest cross-section of the golf ball that lies in a plane parallel to the axis of the passageway is circular, the golf ball will enter the passageway. However, if the same cross-section is out-of-round, the golf ball will not enter the passageway, thereby indicating its ou-t-of-roundness.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the figures are drawn to scale and each dimension is drawn in its actual size:

FIG. 1 is an end view of the golf ball sphericity gauge and utility tool of this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a side view of the golf ball sphericity gauge and the utility tool of FIG. 1 taken along line 22 and showing its size in relation to a conventional golf ball.

Referring to the drawings, a golf :ball sphericity gauge and utility tool is shown comprising a ring it and cylindrical rods 12, 14. Ring lti is shown to have an interior cylindrical surface 1-6, an exterior cylindrical surface 18 and end surfaces 20, 22. Surfaces 2t), 22 are perpendicular to surfaces 16, 18. Surfaces 2t), 22 are parallel to each other and cylindrical surfaces 16, 18 are concentric. The interior surface 16, is formed by a constant diameter passageway 24, in ring 10, which communicates with end surfaces 20, 22. Passageway 24 has a diameter that provides a slip fit between its interior surface 16 and the exterior surface 26 of a conventional golf ball 28 at its largest circular cross-section 3d, lying in a plane parallel to end surfaces 29, 22 as the golf ball enters and passes through passageway 24. However, whenever cross-section 30 becomes out-ofround, the golf ball 28 cannot enter passageway 24.

Rods 12, 14 are secured to exterior surface 18 in spaced apart and parallel position medial to end surfaces 2t), 22. Each of rods 12, 14 have a pointed distal end 32 and a conically shaped end portion 34 which extends from a position intermediate of the exterior surface 18 of ring to the distal ends 32. The distal ends 32 are spaced so as to register with the tightening holes of a conventional golf-shoe spike.

Formed in ring 16 intermediate surfaces 16, 18 and substantially parallel to passageway 24 is a passageway 36 which communicates with end surfaces 2%, 22. A cord 38 may be inserted through passageway 36 and attached to other golf equipment in a securing manner.

In a specific embodiment, ring 19 is machined of metal, plastic or any other material having the required rigidity and strength, and has a passageway 24 having a diameter of 1.686 inches which has been found to be most satisfactory for use with American-size golf balls. Rods 12, 14 are made of inch hardened steel rod stock and secured to the exterior surface 18 by means of two drilled holes 40, 42 into which rods 12, 14 are forcefully fit, respectively. Rods 12, 14 measure /2 inch from surface 18 to the distal ends 32 i.e., a distance greater than the length of the part of a golf shoe spike projecting beyond the tightening holes thereof; the apex angle of end portion 34 is more than 45 and the distal ends 32 are spaced 7 inch apart. Passageway 36 is located in a position on ring 10 most opposite to the position of rods 12, 14. Ring 1% has an outside diameter of approximately 2.444 inches and has a thickness of inch.

In operation, ring 10 functions as a Go-No Go sphericity gauge for golf balls. To test the roundness of a golf ball 28, an attempt is made to pass the golf ball 28 through the passageway 24. (As illustrated by arrow 29.) if the golf ball 28 passes through the passageway 24, it is then rotated to a new position with respect to ring 10 and another attempt is made to pass the golf ball 28 through passageway 24. If the golf ball 28 passes through passageway 24 in all positions, the golf ball 28 is spherical. However if the golf ball 28 fails to enter into and pass through passageway 24 in any position, the golf ball 28 is out-of-round.

Additionally, the pointed rods 12, 14 are useful to clean both the hitting surface of golf clubs and golf-shoe spikes and to tighten golf-shoe spikes whenever they become loose. The cleaning operation of the golf clubs and the golf shoes is performed as conventionally done with other pointed objects. However, it will be found that since the rods 12, 14 retain their pointed ends, 32, a more efiicient cleaning job can be achieved. Further, whenever it is desirable to tighten a golf-shoe spike, the distal ends 32 of rods 12, 14 may be inserted into the tightening holes of a golf-shoe spike positioned between and shorter than said rods and the ring 1!) rotated about a diametral axis passing through a medial point between rods 12, 14, substantially coinciding with the axis of the spike, in a clockwise direction. Still further, replacement of worn golf-shoe spikes may be accomplished by first removing the wornspike by inserting the distal ends of rods 12, 14 into the tightening holes of the spike and rotating the ring 10 about the diametral axis abovedefined in a counterclockwise direction. A new spike can then be inserted into the female spike-receiving opening in the golf shoe and tightened as above-described.

As can be seen, the dimensions of the golf ball sphericity gauge and utility tool and the materials of which it is made are critical to the operation thereof. Passageway 24 must have a diameter such that spherical golf balls will pass through and nonspherical golf balls will be rejccted. Further, the ring 10 must be manufactured of a material and of a thickness such that the ring 10 is rigid, thereby to maintain the dimensions of passageway 24 during normal use of the gauge. Still further, the rods 12, 14 must be manufactured of a material having a hardness sufficient to keep the distal ends 32 pointed; and spaced so that the distal ends 32 are inch apart thereby to register the tightening holes of a conventional golf shoe spike.

While there have been described above the principles of this invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A golfers tool for cleaning and removing golf shoe spikes having tightening holes, comprising a rigid hand grip member having a circular passage of a size to snugly receive a standard, undeformed golf ball, and two spaced similar rigid rods fixedly secured to and projecting side by side from said member at an angle to said passage, each of said rods having a pointed distal end and a conically shaped end portion spaced from said member, said rods being spaced to receive a golf shoe spike therebetween with clearance, and said distal ends being spaced apart to register with and fit in said spike tightening holes and being spaced from said hand grip member a distance greater than the spacing between said spike holes and the end of the spike when said distal ends fit in said spike holes and said rods extend substantially parallel to said spike.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said distal ends of said rods are spaced W inch from each other and onehalf inch from said member.

3. A golfers tool as defined in claim 1, wherein said rods extend perpendicular to the axis of said passage.

4. A golfers tool comprising a rigid ring having an interior circularly cylindrical surface of a size to snugly receive a standard, undeformed golf ball, an exterior surface, and a pair of opposite end surfaces, and two spaced substantially parallel rigid rods fixedly secured to said ring and projecting from said exterior surface between the planes of said end surfaces, each of said rods having a pointed distal end and a conically shaped end portion extending from a position intermediate the spacing between said exterior ring surface and said distal end, said distal ends being spaced apart to register with the tightening holes of a golf shoe spike and the tightening holes thereof when said rods extend alongside said spike.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,438,681 12/1922 Bath 33-l78 2,222,145 11/1940 James 81-904 LEONARD FORMAN, Primary Examiner.

S. S. MATTHEWS, Assistant Examiner 

1. A GOLFER''S TOOL FOR CLEANING AND REMOVING GOLF SHOE SPIKES HAVING TIGHTENING HOLES, COMPRISING A RIGID HAND GRIP MEMBER HAVING A CIRCULAR PASSAGE OF A SIZE TO SNUGLY RECEIVE A STANDARD, UNDERFORMED GOLF BALL, AND TWO SPACED SIMILAR RIGID RODS FIXEDLY SECURED TO AND PROJECTING SIDE BY SIDE FROM SAID MEMBER AT AN ANGLE TO SAID PASSAGE, EACH OF SAID RODS HAVING A POINTED DISTAL END AND A CONICALLY SHAPED END PORTION SPACED FROM SAID MEMBER, SAID RODS BEING SPACED TO RECEIVE A GOLF SHOE SPIKE THEREBETWEEN WITH CLEARANCE, AND SAID DISTAL ENDS BEING SPACED APART TO REGISTER WITH AND FIT IN SAID SPIKE TIGHTENING HOLES AND BEING SPACED FROM SAID HAND GRIP MEMBER A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID SPIKE HOLES AND THE END OF THE SPIKE WHEN SAID DISTAL ENDS FIT IN SAID SPIKE HOLES AND SAID RODS EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SPIKE. 